


Not Alone

by MinaZ



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Fix-It, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 16:09:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2394623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaZ/pseuds/MinaZ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giovanni Auditore da Firenze took another heavy step forward toward the gallows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Alone

Giovanni Auditore da Firenze took another heavy step forward. Around him, the crowd was cheering and leering. To his left and right guards stood, holding the people back. None of them showed the Medici banner that he was hoping for. In front of him his oldest son Federico walked with his head held high. Between them shuffled his youngest son, Petruccio. It should have never come this far. Why were they walking toward the gallows, when they should be in a court? Why had Uberto not presented the evidence yet? Giovanni swallowed hard as his first son reached the steps and walk up to stand under the first noose, chin still held high, eyes bright. Petruccio seemed to gain strength from his brothers example, squaring his small shoulders while making his way up the crude wooden steps. He was placed on the other side of the gallows, looking so ridiculously out of place that his father wanted to laugh bitterly.  
Before the oldest Auditore could place his foot on the first rung of the ladder, a stone hit his shoulder, making him stumble. Normally, he would have shrugged it off, but after being beaten by the guards and not having slept for three days, with his hands tied behind his back, he fell on one knee between two guards on his left. Rough hands grabbed his arm and pulled him up, as a soft voice whispered into his ear.

“You are not alone. Only give a cry when you need us...”.

It took all of Giovannis will power to not look at the speaker. His heart, heavy from the sight of seeing two of his children before him with hangman's nooses around their necks, lifted a bit. Following his sons example, he proudly stepped on the wooden platform. He was unwilling to call for help just yet. He still wanted to see what Umberto was about to do. To cry out unnecessary could have catastrophic consequences for his Brotherhood.

“Giovanni Auditore, you and your accomplices stand accused of the crime of treason! Have you any evidence to counter this charge?”

Giovanni felt his blood boil. So that was it 

“Yes. The document that were delivered to you last night!”

“I'm afraid I know nothing of these documents.”

To his right, Federico cringed, for the first time showing his fear clearly. To his left, Petruccio hung his head, crying softly. Umberto kept talking, but Giovannis eyes were drawn to a white shadow in the crowd.  
Ezio.  
His second son was trying to get closer to them, shoving through the mass of people that would not part. Screaming something he could not hear. Why were they not keeping him safe? What was he doing here?

“... pronounce you GUILTY!” The words echoed over the plaza.

“You and your collaborators are hereby sentences to DEATH.”

Now or never. Giovanni stood tall looking at the traitor in disgust.

“No. You are. NOW!”

Arrows were flying around them, three hit the Templar in the chest, pushing him of the platform. A lucky arrow served the rope above his youngest son, a figure clad in yellow and brown appeared next to his oldest. In that moment, Giovanni felt how the trapdoor under his feet moved, the noose tightening around his neck as he fell. An instant later, a figure in white appeared in front of him, cutting the cord and tumbling after him into the space beneath the gallows.  
Pushing the heavy body of him, Giovanni recognized his own garments. With wide eyes, Ezio was starring at him. Beside them his other sons were picking themselves up from the dirt. 

“Quick, this way!” a voice hissed and soon they were following Paola through the street of Firenze.  
Only once they reached La Rosa Colta and he was able to see his entire family, shaken but whole, did he realize how close they had come to ruin. How the day would have ended, if the Brotherhood had not stood together as they did.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a ficlet, but grew a bit longer. Inspired by the hanging sequences of ACII and ACIII.


End file.
